This invention relates to a beater/whipper apparatus which may be attached and driven by the motor drive extending into a bowl mounted on a food processor base and more particularly to such a beater/whipper unit which may be employed in upright working bowls of various diameters thereby dispensing with the need of a separate complete unit for different size food processor bowls.
Very successful food processors marketed by Cuisinarts, Incorporated of Greenwich, Conn. employ working bowls of various sizes with a motor driven tool drive means extending into the bowl on which various selected rotary food processing tools can be engaged to be driven for performing various food processing operations in accordance with the desires of the user. A removable cover is secured over the top of the bowl during use. The cover includes a feedtube having a passageway which opens downwardly through the cover into the bowl, and the food items to be processed are placed in the feedtube and pushed down into the bowl by means of a removable food pusher which is adapted to slide down in the manner of a plunger in the feedtube. The food items are then sliced, grated or otherwise processed by the rotary tool in the bowl. The bowl carries on its periphery a push rod which forms a part of an interlock system for actuating the motor drive for driving the tool drive means only when the bowl and the cover are properly positioned on the food processor.
Additional information with respect to such food processors may be obtained by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,892,365; 3,985,304; 4,198,887; 4,200,244; 4,216,917; 4,213,570; 4,226,373; 4,227,655; and 4,277,995.
The existing electrical appliance with its motor drive in the form of a food processor base is already being utilized in connection with a pasta extruder apparatus such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,603. The utilization of this and other types of attachments which provide versatility and allow the food processor to perform functions which otherwise would require a completely separate appliance requiring additional investment and duplicating some of the equipment would be extremely desirable. The addition of other complete appliances may tax counter top space as well as requiring additional storage space which actually may not be available.
In addition, if a new attachment is to be provided, it should in effect fit all of the existing machines, for example, if a mixing or beating function is to be provided by a new attachment, a single new attachment unit should fit and operate in the various sized bowls which are currently employed, otherwise individual attachments would have to be provided for each different size bowl increasing manufacturing cost, and further complicating the marketing process in providing the right sized attachment for the specific bowl in which it is to be employed.